Furnace charger



FURNACE CHARGER Filed Feb. 28, 1938 v2 Sheets-Sheet l July 9, 1940 J. N. RICHARDSON 2,207,357

FURNACE CHARGER Filed Feb. 28, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'I 46 8 ff 2,4/1@ E? www 55 -I JV, 54 l 'dl 49 50 l 28 5l Z9 E 44'/ 32 ZZ J9 44 49 a 22,572 4 32 f@ l? il l Patented July 9, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT' OFFICE 10 Claims.

`This invention relates in general to a furnace charger of the skip hoist type having a vertical cone discharging bucket in which the bottom discharge cone is moved a substantial amount relative to the bucket for providing a quick and maximum discharge of the contents from the bucket.

An important object of the invention is in the provision of a charging bucket having a movable support with improved means for increasing the amount of drop of the bottom in discharging the contents of the bucket.

Further objects of the invention are: to provide an improved carriage for the bucket and the bottom thereof; to provide an improved rest or support for the bucket in the charging position;

to improve the structure of the bucket supporting carriage and the means thereon for supporting the bucket; to provide improved means for swinging the carriage and the bucket at the discharge position; to provide an improved support for the bucket in the loading position; to simplify the driving connection for raising and lowering the bucket and the carriage; and in general to provide an improved skip hoist of the type in which a bucket is loaded at one side of an inclined track and swung through the track by its carriage to an unloading position at the top of the track. y

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter, the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention in which Fig. 1 is a side view partly in section illustrating the invention as applied to a furnace to be charged;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 showing the construction of the supporting carriage and its relation to the track; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged view partly in section showing the bucket in a discharging position.

This invention relates to that type of skip hoist in which a charging bucket is moved by means of a carrier upon an inclined skip hoist track from a position in front of the track at the bottom where it may be loaded, to a charging position at the top or opposite side of the track in which the bucket is first positively positioned for unloading and then the bottom is moved downwardly to unload or discharge the contents from the bottom of the bucket.

In carrying out this operation it is-necessary to provide a carrier which supports the bucket by means of the bottom thereof, to move the bucket so that it will be supported in a xed position, and then to lower the bottom a sufcient distance so that the contents of the bucket may be discharged therefrom between the lower edge of the bucket and the top of the bottom or discharge cone thereof. This movement requires that the support for the bottom be raised from a position above the upperrim of the bucket to a position within or substantially below the upper edge of the bucket. f

Referring now more particularly to thedrawings, an inclined skip hoist having spaced or upper and lower rails I and II is positioned at one side of a furnace I2 having a charging opening I3 at the top of the skip hoist and a loading pit I4 at the bottom of the skip hoist into which a charging bucket I5 is moved by a carriage I6, the bucket being ilush with a loading surface or platform I'I in its lower position and being held in a Vertical position within the furnace in its charging position.

The carriage I 6 is mountedupon upper and lower wheels I8 at both sides connectedat the lower end by an axle I9 between the side frames of the carriage, the front wheels being mounted on stub shafts 26 extending through the carriage side rails and mounted at their outer ends in bearing rails 21 spaced from and rigidly secured to the sides of the carriage. As the carriage moves upon the tracks it is deflected by lower guides which engage the lower wheels I8 and swing them toward the furnace. `At the upper end of the rails are guides 2l forming a continuation for each of the lower rails having an upper convex surface 22 and an upstanding projection 23 at its upper end for engaging theupper wheels I8 and limiting the forward movement of the carriage; and the upper rails I0 are each provided with anv extension guide plate 24 forming a continuation of each of the upper rails I0 and having a concave surface 205 curved upon an arc such that the lower wheels I8 will ride thereon when the upper wheels are engaged by the projections 23 of the lower rail extensions or guides 2l.

To support the bucket I5 from the carriage a lever 28 is pivoted upon the axis of the stub shaft 26 at each inner side of the carriage frame and extends beyond its axis in both directions. Between the wheels at each inner side of the carriage frame is a projection 29 engaged at its under side by one extremity 30 of the lever and at the other or forward end of each lever is an upward projection 3| substantially at right angles to the pivoted portion of the lever, in'turn forming a pivot at its upper extremity for a link 32, the lower end of which is connected by a pivot 33 with one side of the bucket 5 so that the bucket is mounted to swing upon the links 32 at each side thereof pivoted in the angle levers 3|.

In order to position the bucket in the furnace, supports 34 are suitably attached at opposite sides of the furnace by fastening plates 35 and project inwardly so that the bucket will pass freely between them but the upper sides of the supports are engaged by an abutment 36 at the lower end of each lever 28 directly below the upward projection 3| thereof, the abutment being curved upwardly at its outer end so that they will ride upon the supports 34 when the carriage is at the upper end of its path and in engagement with the track projections 23.

When the carriage moves upwardly upon the guides 2| of the track the ends 30 of the levers 28 are in engagement with the projections 29 until the lower end of the carriage is raised from the guide plates 2|, approximately to the position shown in Fig. l, when the downward movement of the front ends of the levers 28 seats the abutments 36 of these levers upon the supports 34 and thus seats or positions the bucket in its discharging position. Any further movement of the lower end of the carriage about the front wheels as an axis, as shown for example in Fig. 3, produces no further movement of the bucket which remains set in the discharging position,

At the lower end of the bucket shell is a movable or discharging bottom 3l preferably having a -conical upper surface with a lower rim 38 to engagel the lower edge of the bucket. Attached to the central portion of the bottom is a rigid stem 39 having an eye at the top connected to one end of a chain 40, the other end of which is secured to a collar 4| which swings at the center of a cross piece 42 forming part of a yoke having arms 43 and 44 at each side rigidly connected to and forming an extension of the side frames of the carriage I6. Thus the carriage frame and the yoke consisting of the arms 44, 43 and the cross-piece 42 form a rigid support for holding the bottom 3l against the lower end of the bucket, the bucket itself being pivoted on the links at the sides thereof. The links 43 are spaced apart less than the diameter of the bucket so that they will extend downwardly into the bucket in lowering the bottom and the loose chain 4i! allows a swinging movement of the yoke with respect to the bucket without requiring a corresponding movement of the bottom which would be necessary if the chain 4|] were a solid link.

The other arms 44 are connected at an angle to the frame and at an angle to the arms 43 and also they extend at an angle inwardly yso that the bucket will swing upon its links 32 free from engagement with the bottom supporting yoke and through the frame of the carriage in passing from one side of the carriage to the'other to and from the loading and unloading positions. The axle i9 is spaced at such a distance from the' supporting yoke and the links 32 that the bottomof the bucket will not strike the axle which therefore'acts as one of the main cross braces of the carriage frame.

At the lower end the carriage frame is formed with hooks 48 adapted to pick up a counterbalance in the form of weights 41 and ysprings 48 by means of side links 49 each having a projection 53 engageable in the hooks 4B approximately at the position of the carriage at which the loaded bucket is set upon its fixed discharge supports 34. 'Ihis will prevent an abrupt shock or variation in load upon the hoisting mechanism.

In raising and lowering the carriage a winding drum 5| is mounted upon a suitable support at the upper side of the track and extending from it are one or more cables 52 which pass under a tensioning device 53 and over suitable sheaves 54 above the track so that the cables attached at the ends of the carriage will be free from contact with the bucket as it swings through the carriage. At the lower end of the track are xed pulleys E5 which engage the cables 52 as the `lower end of the carriage is swung inwardly from the track by the bottom guides 20.

In its lowermost position the bucket is supported by its links 32 in a substantially upright condition with the major portion of the bucket projecting through and accessible from the outer side of the rails where it can be easily loaded from the platform ll. As the carriage is raised by the cables 52 the irst movement will be to swing the carriage parallel with the tracks I0 and l which will thereupon swing the bucket in and partially through the carriage frame, the bottom 31 at that time being tightly confined against the bucket by its supporting yoke and the levers 28 being in engagement with theA projections 29. When the carriage reaches the convex guide portions 2| at the upper end of the track the lifting of the carriage about the lower end thereof will raise the lower rollers from the guides 2|, maintaining the lower wheels I8 `in contact with the upper rails I0 until a position as shown in Fig. l is attained in which the bucket will be set upon its discharging supports 34 and the hook extremities will pick up the counterweights as above set forth. Further raising `movement of the rear or lower end of the carriage will cause the lower wheels I8 to continue in contact with the concave track guides 25, thus raising the carriage and separating the contacts 29 from ythe levers 28 and lowering the bottom 3l with respect to the bucket as the raising of the carriage continues. In the lowermost position of the bottom the arms 43 will extend well within the upper end `of the bucket, allowing the contents of the bucket to discharge freely and the upper conical surface of the bottom insuring that the entire contents of the bucket will `be discharged free from the bottom.

In the return movement of the carriage vthe above described action is reversed, the bottom is rst drawn upwardly as the rear of the carriage is dropped, the bottom is closed, the bucket is raised from its supports 34, and the counterweights are released at approximately the4 same time, the downwardmovement of thelcarriage by its .own weight causing the bucket to swing partially lthrough the carriage, and the bucket assuming its loading position at the lower end of the track as previously set forth.

With this construction the operation of the charger Vis eflicient, automatic, and the mechanism is so simple that it is not likely to getout of order in operation nor to need frequent and expensive repairs. The bucket is moved froma position Where it is easily loaded, through the track and carriage substantially in a horizontal path, through a relatively small opening, to its discharge position. No complicatedr or cumbersome tracks or hoisting machinery `is required which materially reduces the cost of the equipment for a furnace charging hoist.

I claim:

l. In a furnace charger, a `wheeled carriageand '(5 a track therefor, a bucket having a movable discharge bottom, pivoting means at one end 0i the carriage for the bucket and the bottom thereof, the bucket pivoting means being movable in the carriage, the bottom movable with the carriage, fixed supports at the upper end of the track for engaging the bucket pivoting means, means for moving the carriage along the track and tilting the other end of the carriage from the track in the discharge position of the bucket, and stop means on theA carriage for engaging the bucket supporting means and separated therefrom when the bucket is on the said supports and the carriage is tilted to move the bottom from the bucket.

2. In a furnace charger, an inclined track, a wheeled carriage thereon, a bucket pivoted in the carriage, a discharge rest for the bucket, a discharge bottom supported by the front of the carrage at the bottom of the bucket, means for holding the bucket and the front of the carriage together until the bucket is seated on the rest, and means for rotating the rear of thel carriage upwardly and the front downwardly when the bucket is on the rest to drop the bottom therefrom.

3. In a furnace charger, an inclined track, a

wheeled carriage movable thereon, a bucket suspended upon a lever pivoted in the carriage, a stop for separably holding the lever and carriage together, a discharge rest for the bucket, a discharge bottom for the bucket movable with the carriage, and means for moving the carriage and bucket together until the latter is seated upon the rest and then continuing the movement of the carriage to move the bottom to discharge position. v 4. In a furnace charger, an inclined track, a wheeled carriage movable therein, a bucket having a level` and link support pivoting it in the carriage, a stop in the carriage engaging the support for moving the bucket and carriage together, a movable bottom for the bucket supported by the carriage, a rest for the bucket in discharge position, and means for rotating the carriage When the bucket is seated on the rest separating the stop from said support and moving the bottom downwardly from the bucket.

5. In a furnace charger, a Wheeled carriage and a track upon which it is movable, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends at each side of the carriage, a stop in the carriage for limiting movement of the lever in one direction, a link pivotecl at one end to the other end of each lever, a bucket pivoted at its sides in the other ends of said links, fixed rests between which the bucket is moved by the carriage, the levers engaging the rests and the bucket swinging on the links between the rests, anda movable bottom for the buckets supported by the carriage/and movable relative to the bucket.

6. In a structure according to claim 5, the bucket supporting end of the levers extending at an angle to the carriage and the links depending therefrom, and the bottom being pivotally suspended on a yoke having the same axis of support as the upper ends of the links.

7. In a structure according to claim 5, the bucket supporting ends of the levers being bent at right angles and the angular extremities having an abutment to engage upon said rests upon the seating movement of the carriage.

8. In a furnace charger, an inclined track, a wheeled carrier movable thereon having a yoke at its upper end comprising arm portions at an angle to each other and to the carriage, a bucket suspended from the carriage having a movable pivoting connection, a movable bottom for the bracket supported by the yoke, a rest for engaging the pivoting connection of the bracket at the top of the track, and means for raising the carriage and seating the bucket on the rest, and moving the carriage with respect to the pivoting connection to swing an angular portion of the yoke into the top of the bucket lowering the bottom for discharging.

9. In a furnace charger, a wheeled carriage, a bucket with a movable discharge bottom, a pair of levers pivoted intermediate their ends at one end of the carriage, stops for limiting movement of the levers in the carriage in one direction, links connecting the other ends of the levers with opposite sides of the bucket, a supporting yoke for the bottom having an angular portion forming an extension of the carriage, and means for suspending the bottom upon the same axis as the upper ends of said links, comprising a iiexible chain section, the bottom and. bucket being held together when the stops engage the levers and the angular portion of the yoke extending into the bucket to widely open the bottom for discharging when the carriage is moved relative means for raising the bucket, carriage, and bottom together and setting the bucket upon the rests, counterweighting means picked up by the carriage as the bucket is placed upon the rests, and the continued movement of the carriage rocking said stops vfree from the lever means and dropping the bottom for discharging from the bucket.

JOHN N. RICHARDSON. 

